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Bonifacius Amerbach (1495,Basel – April 1562, Basel[1][2]) was a jurist, scholar, an influential humanist and the rector of theUniversity of Basel for several terms.
Born on the 11 October 1495, he was the youngest son of the printerJohannes Amerbach[3] who immigrated to Basel fromAmorbach inBavaria and Barbara Ortenberg.[4] He was baptized in theTheordorchurch [de] and had two godfathers and one godmother.[5] He received his primary education in Basel[4] from where he was sent away from the family in 1502 and 1507 into safety from theplague.[6] On the second occasion he went to the monastery of Engental inMuttenz, where his teacher wasConrad of Leonberg.[7] In 1507, he was sent to the famousLatin school inSchlettstadt, where he was accommodated by its principal Hieronymus Gebwiler.[8] He studied in Schledtstadt until November 1508.[9]
He returned to Basel where he enrolled studied law at the University of Basel, earning aB.A. in 1511 and anM.A. in 1513.[10] From 1510 onwards, he was taughtGreek by theDominicanJohannes Cuno, who became the private teacher of Johann Amerbach's sons and also ofBeatus Rheanus.[11] Between 1513[10][12] and 1519 he studied law withUlrich Zasius inFreiburg im Breisgau, with whom he established a close relationship.[13] It was also in Freiburg that he developed a friendship withErasmus of Rotterdam.[3] He followed up on his studies withAndreas Alciatus inAvignon from 1520 onwards.[2]
In 1519, before his departure to Avignon, Amerbach waspainted byHans Holbein the Younger in order to leave his family a memory, should he die on his travels.[2] In Avignon he made the acquaintance ofGuillame Budé, whose writings he had studied in Freiburg and who was an influential scholar of and proponent for French legal humanism.[14] When in 1521 theplague reigned in Avignon, he relocated to Basel for a year.[4] In 1522 he returned to Avignon, where he received his doctorate in 1525.[15][16] Hisdoctoral adviser was Francesco Ripa.[17]
As the successor ofClaudius Cantiuncula [de],[18] he taught at the University of Basel from 1525[19][20] onwards and was a main force behind the re-opening of the university following the closure during theReformation in 1529.[20] During the Reformation he abstained to accept the teachings of the reformator of BaselJohannes Oecolampadius and for a while was determined to leave Basel if those views on theLord's supper would become to official views by the cities Government.[21] Even though Oecolampadius's views came through, he then stayed but the requirements to be assigned as a professor at the University of Basel were adapted and he was excepted from the duty to attend the Lord's supper.[21] He was assigned with teachingRoman Law in 1530[15] and by 1532 he was the sole Professor teaching at the Faculty of Law in Basel.[15] In 1544, Johann Ulrich Zasius, the son of his former teacher, taught at the faculty of law at the University of Basel.[22] In 1539 he again fled the plague in Basel and stayed for a while with his stepfather in Neuenburg.[23] He was elected therector of the University of Basel five terms, the first term being in 1526[2] and established the chair forAristortelicEthics.[15] He was a professor for law until his death in 1562.[24]
He became a prominentlegal humanist of Europe during the 15th century, and has corresponded with a vast number of contemporary humanists.[25] Throughout his career he was a moderate voice between the defenders of the mos italicus and those of themos gallicus.[24] He was not satisfied with just knowing what a texts content was, but was also interested in what the scholars said about the text.[24]
Together with the CatholicErasmus he had a conciliar approach towards theLutheran andZwinglian reformists. He was also not an active supporter of theReformation, which was introduced in Basel in 1529[15] and as theBildersturm reached Basel, he was able to save several paintings byHans Holbein the Younger[26] whose works he had collected for years.[27] As he was opposed to theReformation, Amerbach left Basel for some months, but eventually returned.[28] It was only in 1534 when he gave in and formally became a Reformist, also partaking in theLord's Supper.[15] Despite his official adherence to the Reformation, his friendship with Erasmus perdured[20] and in 1535 Amerbach convinced him to return to Basel fromFreiburg im Breisgau.[15] He was an expert and delegate at the Christiansynod of Strasbourg in 1533[15] and became the heir of the estate of the Christian scholar and humanistErasmus of Rotterdam following his death in 1536.[2] As such he also became the caretaker of the Legatum Erasmianum, a foundation set up to support widows, orphans and students.[29]
He maintained good relations to the composersHans Kotter andSixt Dietrich [de] since he had stayed in Freiburg.[1] From both he ordered compositions.[30] The musician and poetHeinrich Loriti was also known to be close to him.[31]
Bonifacius Amerbach has assembled a large number of artifacts, coins and medallions during his life.[32] From his father he inherited the vast library upon his death in 1513.[33] He was interested in the goldsmiths designs and works.[32] The collection came into possession of his sonBasilius Amerbach and was the foundation of theAmerbach Cabinet.[15]
During his studies, he seemed to have had a lover in Avignon, but his sister Margarethe warned him from bringing a French national into the household.[34] After having declined several marriages which his sister and also his teacher Alciatus had offered him, he finally married in 1527.[34] He had a close relationship with various influential personalities at the time such asParacelsus andErasmus, who both attended his wedding with Martha Fuchs inNeuenburg am Rhein[35] on 25 February 1527.[36] In 1528, on Christmas Day, a daughter Ursula was born; she died early on the 20th June 1532.[36] His daughter Faustina was born in 1530.[36]Hans Holbein the Younger was also a guest in his house in Basel, and Amerbach was portrayed by him in 1519.[16] Later, his family became the guardian of various paintings of him.[29] In 1533, his son Basilius Amerbach was born. His wife Martha and his youngest daughter Esther died when in 1541/42 the plague was raging in Basel.[2] On the 5th of January 1542, his Esther died.[37]
After Amerbach's father-in-law Leonhard Fuchs died in 1546 inNeuenburg, Bonifacius Amerbach became the head of the entire Amerbach and Fuchs families.[35] He died in April 1562 and was buried at theMonastery St. Margarethental [de] in Basel.[2]
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